• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.637-643
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• 2013

We have demonstrated that 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) isolated from Bacillus subtilis MORI could enhance the levels of adiponectin and its receptors in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, which has been shown to be effective in lowering blood glucose levels and enhancing insulin sensitivity. DNJ was not toxic to differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes for up to a concentration of $5{\mu}M$. In terms of expression levels of adiponectin and its receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2), DNJ in concentrations as low as $0.5{\mu}M$ elevated both mRNA and protein levels of adiponectin and transcript levels of AdipoR1 and AdipoR2. In addition, DNJ increased phosphorylation of 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in a statistically significant manner. Finally, treatment with DNJ resulted in increased mRNA expression of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), which encodes for a glucose transporter, along with a significant increase in glucose uptake into the adipocytes based on results of a 2-deoxy-D-[$^3H$] glucose uptake assay. Our findings indicate that DNJ may greatly facilitate glucose uptake into adipose tissues by increasing the action of adiponectin via its up-regulated expression as well as its receptor genes. In addition, the glucose-lowering effects of DNJ may be achieved by an increased abundance of GLUT4 protein in the plasma membrane, as a consequence of the increased transcript levels of the GLUT4 gene and the activation of AMPK.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.241-241
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• 2008

Macrofore formation in silicon and other semiconductors using electrochemical etching processes has been, in the last years, a subject of great attention of both theory and practice. Its first reason of concern is new areas of macropore silicone applications arising from microelectromechanical systems processing (MEMS), membrane techniques, solar cells, sensors, photonic crystals, and new technologies like a silicon-on-nothing (SON) technology. Its formation mechanism with a rich variety of controllable microstructures and their many potential applications have been studied extensively recently. Porous silicon is formed by anodic etching of crystalline silicon in hydrofluoric acid. During the etching process holes are required to enable the dissolution of the silicon anode. For p-type silicon, holes are the majority charge carriers, therefore porous silicon can be formed under the action of a positive bias on the silicon anode. For n-type silicon, holes to dissolve silicon is supplied by illuminating n-type silicon with above-band-gap light which allows sufficient generation of holes. To make a desired three-dimensional nano- or micro-structures, pre-structuring the masked surface in KOH solution to form a periodic array of etch pits before electrochemical etching. Due to enhanced electric field, the holes are efficiently collected at the pore tips for etching. The depletion of holes in the space charge region prevents silicon dissolution at the sidewalls, enabling anisotropic etching for the trenches. This is correct theoretical explanation for n-type Si etching. However, there are a few experimental repors in p-type silicon, while a number of theoretical models have been worked out to explain experimental dependence observed. To perform ordered macrofore formaion for p-type silicon, various kinds of mask patterns to make initial KOH etch pits were used. In order to understand the roles played by the kinds of etching solution in the formation of pillar arrays, we have undertaken a systematic study of the solvent effects in mixtures of HF, N-dimethylformamide (DMF), iso-propanol, and mixtures of HF with water on the macrofore structure formation on monocrystalline p-type silicon with a resistivity varying between 10 ~ 0.01 $\Omega$ cm. The etching solution including the iso-propanol produced a best three dimensional pillar structures. The experimental results are discussed on the base of Lehmann's comprehensive model based on SCR width.

• The Journal of Art Theory & Practice
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• no.9
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• pp.33-57
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• 2010

Focused on the performance of interactivity in the appreciation of media art, this study is associated with the continually changed art texts and a participator's physical reactions to savor the art. Digital works of art emphasizing interactivity usually decentralize and disperse the responsibility and the central role for creating and producing the art works. Proper procedure of the work is generated by actions such as clicking the mouse, controlling the joy stick or actual movement of anticipators' bodies. The art works are influenced by participators' interactivity, which makes the leading roles and the responsibility for creating art scattered and divided. These features are similar with those of the 'Rhizome' which Gilles Deleuze(1925~1995) and Felix Guattari(1930~1992) have discussed. In their argument, 'Rhizome' is an interval or being 'between', which keeps changing. 'Rhizome' is a state in which the individual and the work of art never reach the conclusion, only a phenomenon of eternally altering. Like 'Rhizome', this sort of art work has the decentralized system, opens for several directions, and activates the system which is changeable as linked items increased or decreased. These works stimulate the individual to perform and act while appreciating the art piece. In terms of processing and preceeding, interactivity is the important equipment and catalyzer. Through these procedures, the pieces can be the 'floating work of art' combined and condensed with the whole participators' reactions. The 'floating work of art' is neither the expression of an individual nor that of one particular group. Multidimensional influence of the web is the web which is constantly reorganizing and producing in its connective state. This connective state is activated by interactivity. The Rhizomatic system embodies the floating work of art process. Due to each individual perceiving art in individualistic terms, there is no dominating powers or central points. I regard this art works possessing above traits as the work of art with Rhizomatic system. The work of art with the Rhizomatic system is embodied through interactivity and because physical action activates the process of appreciation, a participator can actually experience and practice the philosophy. Ultimately the Rhizomatic speculation occurs during the interactivity of appreciating the Rhizomatic art pieces. The Rhizomatic system penetrates into the intuitive area beyond our recognition and thoughts, as we are engaged in the connective process. With the methods and manners of interactive art, we can possibly reconsider the system as a tool in which the participator is directly able to link experience and theory to the philosophies of Deleuze and Guattari.

• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.37-57
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• 1987

This article discussed the characteristics of several Pareto-optimal incentive contracts between owner and labor, more specifically, four situations: reporting output jointly observable by labor ana owner; reporting both output and effort; incorporating other endogenous elements (like capital) that affect the production process and Pareto-optimal fee schedules; and ascertaining the effects of private pre-decision information private- decision information, and per-contact informational asymmetries. Also presented were several extensions of the basic contractual model, and the different components of agency costs associated with labor-owner contractual relations. In a single-period model, the agency problem exists because the uncertainty prevents the owner from using the cash flow to determine unambiguously the labor's action. Holmstrom(1979) suggests that "when the same situation repeats itself over time, the effects of uncertainty tend to be reduced and dystunctional behavior is more accurately revealed, thus alleviating the problem of moral hazard. " Under these conditions, if the labor selects the first-best level of effect in each period, the cash flow will be independent and identically distributed over time. As the number of periods increases, the variance of the labows average output, if he selects the first-best level of effort in each period, gets smaller. Note that for this diversification effect to occur, it is necessary that the owner evaluate the labor's effort over the entire history of his employment, rather than evaluate each period's performance separately. Radner(1980) and Rubinstein and Yaari(1980) consider the extreme case in which there are an infinite number of observations. They show that the owner can eventually detect and systematic shirking on the part of the labor by comparing the labor's average output with what would be expected if the labor had been selecting the first-best level of effort in each period. In a dynamic model with incentive problems we have demonstrated that the labor's second-period compensation will depend on his first-period performance. This allows the owner to diversify away some of the uncertainty surrounding the labor's actions. In addition, this allows the owner to smooth the labor's income over time by spreading the risk of the first-period outcome over both periods. At least some unexplored avenves in this area invite future accounting research: situations where owner has different incompatible objectives and negotiates a contract with labor; circumstances in which owner deals with multiple objectives and negotiates contracts with several labors simultaneously; the value of costly accounting information systems and communication in establishing, Pareto-optimal incentive contracts, and the value and effects of inside information, Thorough theoretical or empirical research on each of these topics not only would increase our knowledge about the role and significance of accounting information but could also provide explanations of the inherent differences among various organizations and in their economic behavior. behavior.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.15-42
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• 2024

A flexible-base coupled-two-beam (CTB) discrete model with equivalent tuned mass dampers is used to assess the effect of soil-structure interaction (SSI) and different types of lateral resisting systems on the design of passive dynamic absorbers (PDAs) under the action of along-wind and across-wind loads due to vortex shedding. A total of five different PDAs are considered in this study: (1) tuned mass damper (TMD), (2) circular tuned sloshing damper (C-TSD), (3) rectangular tuned sloshing damper (R-TSD), (4) two-way liquid damper (TWLD) and (5) pendulum tuned mass damper (PTMD). By modifying the non-dimensional lateral stiffness ratio, the CTB model can consider lateral deformations varying from those of a flexural cantilever beam to those of a shear cantilever beam. The Monte Carlo simulation method was used to generate along-wind and across-wind loads correlated along the height of a real shear wall-frame building, which has similar fundamental periods of vibration and different modes of lateral deformation in the xz and yz planes, respectively. Ambient vibration tests were conducted on the building to identify its real lateral behavior and thus choose the most suitable parameters for the CTB model. Both alongwind and across-wind responses of the 144-meter-tall building were computed considering four soil types (hard rock, dense soil, stiff soil and soft soil) and a single PDA on its top, that is, 96 time-history analyses were carried out to assess the effect of SSI and lateral resisting system on the PDAs design. Based on the parametric analyses, the response significantly increases as the soil flexibility increases for both type of lateral wind loads, particularly for flexural-type deformations. The results show a great effectiveness of PDAs in controlling across-wind peak displacements and both along-wind and across-wind RMS accelerations, on the contrary, PDAs were ineffective in controlling along-wind peak displacements on all soil types and different kind of lateral deformation. Generally speaking, the maximum possible value of the PDA mass efficiency index increases as the soil flexibility increases, on the contrary, it decreases as the non-dimensional lateral stiffness ratio of the building increases; therefore, there is a significant increase of the vibration control effectiveness of PDAs for lateral flexural-type deformations on soft soils.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.333-340
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• 2013

This study was performed to determine whether stem bark extract containing saponin of Albizzia julibrissin in the diet influences gonadal maturation and spawning in medaka (Oryzias latipes). The crude extraction containing saponin (HaBC) was partially purified from n-BuOH extraction of A. julibrissin stem bark by Diaion HP-20, Silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 chromatographies. We fed diets supplemented with HaBC to medaka. We then studied the effects of the HaBC supplement on the suppression of gonadal maturation and spawning in female medaka that were reared in aquaria with recirculation systems. In the experiment with immature female medaka, the periods of initiation of gonadal maturation and spawning were delayed in the fish that were fed diets supplemented with at least HaBC 20 mg/g-feed. In the experiment with mature female medaka, the fish that were fed diets supplemented with at least HaBC 20 mg/g-feed had lower GSIs than the control diet group did. The results showed that the growth of the immature medaka was not correlated with the amount of supplementation of HaBC in the diet. However, the condition factors (CF) in the medaka that were fed diets supplemented with at least HaBC 20 mg/g-feed were higher than in the medaka fed on the control diet. We concluded that extracts containing saponin from the stem bark of A. julibrissin have the potential to inhibit gonadal maturation in female medaka, but they did not act as growth stimulation. Further studies are required to determine the mechanism of the action.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.185-196
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• 2024

Objectives: Excess mortality associated with long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) has been documented. However, research on the disease burden following short-term exposure is scarce. We investigated the cause-specific mortality burden of short-term exposure to PM_2.5 by considering the potential non-linear concentration-response relationship in Korea. Methods: Daily cause-specific mortality rates and PM_2.5 exposure levels from 2010 to 2019 were collected for 8 Korean cities and 9 provinces. A generalized additive mixed model was employed to estimate the non-linear relationship between PM_2.5 exposure and cause-specific mortality levels. We assumed no detrimental health effects of PM_2.5 concentrations below 15 ㎍/m³. Overall deaths attributable to short-term PM_2.5 exposure were estimated by summing the daily numbers of excess deaths associated with ambient PM_2.5 exposure. Results: Of the 2 749 704 recorded deaths, 2 453 686 (89.2%) were non-accidental, 591 267 (21.5%) were cardiovascular, and 141 066 (5.1%) were respiratory in nature. A non-linear relationship was observed between all-cause mortality and exposure to PM_2.5 at lag0, whereas linear associations were evident for cause-specific mortalities. Overall, 10 814 all-cause, 7855 non-accidental, 1642 cardiovascular, and 708 respiratory deaths were attributed to short-term exposure to PM_2.5. The estimated number of all-cause excess deaths due to short-term PM_2.5 exposure in 2019 was 1039 (95% confidence interval, 604 to 1472). Conclusions: Our findings indicate an association between short-term PM_2.5 exposure and various mortality rates (all-cause, non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory) in Korea over the period from 2010 to 2019. Consequently, action plans should be developed to reduce deaths attributable to short-term exposure to PM_2.5.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.105-110
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• 2016

This paper provides the current status of weed science and prospects for the development of weed science based on the research trends presented at the 7th International Weed Science Conference in 2016. Approximately 520 researchers from 59 countries, including Korea, participated in the conference and presented 625 papers in nine research areas. Major research topics were herbicide resistance, weed ecology, weed management in agricultural and non-agricultural lands, herbicide spray technology, and non-chemical weed control. Studies on herbicide resistance presented more than 30% of all papers presented. Particularly, resistance to non-selective herbicides, such as glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium, and non-target sites of resistance mechanisms were the main subjects of the herbicide resistance research area. Moreover, the conference focused on research concerning herbicide resistant weeds of staple crops of the world (corn, wheat, and rice). Arylex was introduced as a new compound which has a mode of herbicidal action similar to synthetic auxin. Three compounds being developed as HPPD inhibitors were studied for ways to reduce their toxicity and tested as mixed with safeners. Additionally, parasitic weeds, which are not native to Korea, are an expanding research subject in the world. Although 45 years have passed since the first report of herbicide resistance in 1970, herbicide resistance remains a serious problem in most intensive cropping systems of the world and will continue to be a major area of study in the future.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.137-150
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• 2010

Traditionally, like many people in mountain region of the Himalaya, the Lwang communities depend on mix of subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, and seasonal migrant labor for their livelihoods. These traditional systems are characterized by low productivity, diverse use of available natural resources (largely for home consumption), limited markets, and some aversion for innovation. The potential to generate wealth through commerce has largely been untapped by these mountain residents and thus is undervalued in local and national economies. Introduction of organic tea farming is a part of Lwang community's several initiatives to break the vicious poverty cycle Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) played facilitating roles in all their efforts since beginning. In five years, the tea plantation emerged as a new means for secured a livelihood. This study aims to analyze the current practices in tea farming both in terms of farm management and soil nutrient status(technical) and the prosperity of the tea farmers (social). The technical aspect covers the soil and tea leaf analysis of various nutrients contents in the soil and tea leaf. Originally, the technical aspect of the study was not planned but later during the consultation with the advisor it was taken into consideration which added value to the research study. The sample were collected from different locations and analyzed on the field itself. The other part of the study i.e. the social aspect was done through questionnaire survey and focus group discussion. the tea farming provided them not only a new opportunity but also earned an identity in the region. This initiative was undertaken as a piloting measure. Now that the tea is in production with processing unit established locally, more serious consideration has to be given for better yield and economic prosperity. This research finding will help the community to analyze their efforts and make correction measures in tea garden management and application of fertilizer. It is also expected to fill up the gaps of knowledge and information required to reduce economic stresses and enhance capacity of farmers to make the tea farming a sustainable and beneficial business. The findings are expected to Sustainability of organic tea farming has direct impacts on biodiversity conservation compared to the other traditional farming practices that are more resource intensive. The study will also contribute to identify key action points required for reducing poverty while conserving environment and enhancing livelihoods

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.9 s.89
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• pp.1224-1231
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• 2007

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-II have structure like insulin. In contrast to insulin, however, the bioavaility of IGFs is modulated by the IGF-binding protein (IGFBPs). Each of IGFBPs was different with molecular masses, biological characteristics, and immunological properties.. Human fibroblasts secrete IGFBPs that can modify IGF-I action. In diabetes mellitus, the most study of IGF systems have been investigated in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and streptozotocin-in-duced animals in vivo. Recently, a little research regarding the IGFs system has been proposed in por-tion of cell in vitro. In this study, effects of low or high glucose condition on IGFBP-5 in GM10 was investigated. By western blotting analysis, IGFBP-5 level decreased in cells cultured at high glucose, but IGFBP-5 level of mRNA didn't change. IGFBP-5 protease that cleaves IGFBP-5 in conditioned me-dium had was inhibited by EDTA and heparin, like serine protease and metalloprotease. Furthermore, the protease activity was increased in high glucose cultivated condition. In results of gelatin zymog-raphy, molecular weight of proteolytic metalloenzymes was indentified 69-kDa and protease activity was increased in time-dependent manner. Although the mechanism has yet to be determined, IGFBP-5 proteolysis in GM10 cells cultured with high glucose may increase effects of IGFs to decrease the glu-cose level through dissociation of IGFs from IGFBPs. Therefore, we suggest that IGF- I and IGFBPs could be potential models in study of pathophysiology such as diabetes mellitus.